The Wild West is Back

Dec. 21, 2015

We are no longer slinging guns and shooting at each other. We no longer ride horses at breakneck speed or sit on top of wagons with teams of horses pulling us, with just some straps of leather to control the them. Oh no! We have hundreds of horses power driving us at speeds the horses never attained and we may no longer have even the reins to control them.

That’s a bit “tongue in cheek” for what autonomous vehicles are doing. I mention the wild west because it started with California, then Nevada issued the first license plate, and today we see that good ol’ Texas may have regulations that allow just about anything. Over the weekend I took note of the large auto companies, such as Ford, that are using their private work campuses for testing autonomous vehicles without controls. Since it is private property, like a test track, they can do just about anything they want.

Are autonomous vehicles really in our future? You can bet on it. Late last week, FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) issued its long awaiting regulation on Electronic Logging Devices. It projects the rule will allow 1,844 crashes to be avoided, 562 injuries avoided and save 26 lives. Those benefits are for a calculated cost of less than $1900 per vehicle. I have not doubt that the safety benefits of autonomous vehicles will be significantly higher and the costs will be low enough to justify the regulation sometime in the future. I’ll be interested to see what is reported at the SAE Industry Government meeting in January regarding investigations into regulations for this area.

If you also look at the productivity improvements these vehicles will provide, the benefits are going to be impressive. Last week I came upon research being done at the University of Texas at Austin showing how traffic will improve at intersections when vehicles are autonomous. It looks scary at first, but traffic moves better than it does today. Check it out at AIM Autonomous Intersection Management.

About the Author

Paul Menig | CEO

Paul Menig is the leader of Tech-I-M LLC, a consulting company focused on helping companies succeed by leveraging technology in their products and processes. After successfully introducing many high tech products in the corporate worlds of General Electric, Eaton and Daimler, he is now focused on savvy technology creating powerful results in companies of all sizes.

Paul also provides free counseling to a wide range of businesses as part of the non-profit organization SCORE that is associated with the Small Business Administration (SBA). Paul is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in electrical engineering and has participated in many training programs in quality, strategic planning, finance and technical areas.

Sponsored Recommendations

Tackling the Tech Shortage: Lessons in Recruiting Talent and Reducing Turnover

Discover innovative strategies for recruiting and retaining tech talent in the trucking industry at our April 16th webinar, where experts will share insights on competitive pay...

Stop Sweating Temperature Excursions

Advanced chemical indicators give you the peace of mind that comes from reliable insights into your supply chains. Compromised shipments can be identified the moment they arrive...

How Electric Vehicles Help You Prolong the Life of Your Fleet

Before adopting electric vehicles for commercial/government fleets, prioritize cost inquiries. Maintenance is essential; understand the upkeep of EV fleets. Here’s what you need...

How to Choose the Right Route Planning Solution

This free buyer's guide will help equip you with the knowledge and insights needed to analyze route planning software and vendors in the market and, ultimately, make an informed...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!